Shloka 8
Kāmyake Pāṇḍavānāṃ Bhojana-vyavasthā
Provisioning and Welfare in the Kāmyaka Forest
महर्षे मम पुत्रो5यं कुन्त्यां जातो महाभुज: । अस्त्रहेतोरिह प्राप्त: कस्माच्चित् कारणान्तरात्,“महर्षे! ये महाबाहु धनंजय कुन्तीके गर्भसे उत्पन्न हुए मेरे पुत्र हैं और कुछ कारणवश अस्त्रविद्या सीखनेके लिये यहाँ आये हैं। आश्वर्य है कि आप इन पुरातन ऋषिप्रवरको नहीं जानते हैं। ब्रह्म! इनका जो स्वरूप है और इनके अवतार-ग्रहणका जो कारण है, वह सब मैं बता रहा हूँ। आप मेरे मुँहसे यह सब सुनिये
maharṣe mama putro 'yaṃ kuntyāṃ jāto mahābhujaḥ | astrahetor iha prāptaḥ kasmāc cit kāraṇāntarāt ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O great sage, this is my son—mighty-armed—born of Kuntī. He has come here for the sake of acquiring weapons and their lore, driven by some other circumstance as well.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the kṣatriya imperative to seek proper training in arms under legitimate guidance, while also acknowledging that major life-events often arise from layered causes—duty (astra-hetu) alongside other providential circumstances (kāraṇāntara).
The speaker identifies a heroic figure as his son born of Kuntī and explains to a great sage that the hero has come to this place to obtain instruction in weapons, with an additional, unspecified reason also prompting the visit.